Retaining bolt for self-centering devices



May 18 1926. v F. H. BENDER RETAINING BOLT FOR SELF CENTERING DEVICES Filed August 4, 192

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flederzbH Patented [Via 3118,1926.

UNITED STATES 1,585,362 PATENT OFF-ICE.

rnnnnnIc II. nnnnnn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR r amnnrcan STEEL I I'OUNDRIES, or cmcaeo, ILLINOIS, A conrona'rIoN ornnw mnsnv.

im'ranvme BOLT non snLr-cnn'rnnme nnvrcnsi Application filed August 4, 1924. Serial No. 729,922.

This invention relates to draft rigging supporting means, and more particularly to retaining means for self-centering devices.

The use of a self-centering device broadly I is old. Heretofore, such devices have been mounted on carry irons in a manner tending to prevent displacement of the centering device with respect to the carry iron.

For the most part such arrangements are generally successful except when a car is turned over, whereupon the self-centering device has been free to drop away from the carry iron and be lost.

One object of my invention is to provlde ll simple, reliable and durable means for retaining a self-centering device in its proper operative association with the carry iron under both normal and abnormal circum stances.

Another object is to'provide a simple and efficient combination of carry iron, selfcentering device, and retaining means adapt ed to meet all of the requirements under conditions which are encountered in service. These and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a front elevation of-a striking" casting havin' a carry iron inte ally formed therewith, a self-centering evice,

and retaining means, a coupler shank being shown in section. a I

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section to al view taken in the plane of line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail top plan view of the securing bolt forming a part of the invention.

C0 The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings and will be particularl ointed out in the appended claims.

1% erring to the figures of the drawings,

65 it willbe noted that the invention is illus-' trated in connection-with a striking casting 1O havi integrally formed therewith a carry iron 11. A self-centering device including a carriage 12 is mounted upon rollers 13 supported by the carry iron 11 whereby the carriage 12 may have a transverse movement with respect to the carry iron 11 occasioned, for example, when the car to which the mechanism is attached is rounding a curve or encounters track irregularities. The carriage 12 automatically is made self centering by virtue of the fact that the rollers 13 are mounted between concave surfaces 14 and 15 on the carry iron 11 and carriage 12, respectively. 1

Under normal operating conditions the carriage 12 or self-centering device is pre- 7 vented from movinginto an'inoperative sition with respect to the carry iron 11 no to the fact that the carriage 12 is mounted down in between the transverse side walls 16 of the carry iron 11. However, entire reliance should not be placed upon the overlapping of the carriage 12 and side Walls 16 of the carry iron 11 under all conditions to W prevent displacement of the carriage 12 with respect to the carry iron, for it is apparent t at under some circumstances, forexample, when a railroad car is tipped over, it would be possible for the carriage or self-centering device 12 to be entirel disengaged from the carry iron 11 an lost. 1 This will be particularly understood when it isrealized that the degree of overla between the carriage l2 and the side wals 16 is not as great as the clearance between ,the top interior wall 17 of the strikin casting 10 and the top wall 18 of the coupferrshank 19, which is mounted upon and supported by the carriage 12. This condition necessar1ly must exist to facilitate the assembly of the coupler and self-centerin device within the striking casting 10, partlcularly where the carry iron 11 is formed integrall with the striking casting. y

To retain the self-centering device within the striking casting under both normal and abnormal conditions, I have provided a retaining bolt 20 having an elongated head or a head with oppositely extending ears 2-3, which ears normally extend transversely of the carriage 12, as shown in Figure 1, and occupy recesses 24 whereby the bolt 20 is prevented from downward displacement with respect to the carriage 12. The opening 21 in the carry iron 11 is elongated lengthwise of the carry iron as defined by the walls 25 to permit the carriage 12 to move laterally with respect to the car iron 11. Also the opening. 22 is elongated forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the carry iron, as defined by the walls 26, to permit the head of the retaining bolt 20 to pass vertically therethrough when the ears 23 of the'head are arranged in a position 90 from that shown in Figures 1 and '2. After the bolt 20 is passed vertically upwardly through the openings 21 and 22 to the extent that the ears 23 clear the top of the carriage 12, the bolt is given a rotatlve movement through 90, whereupon the ears 23 may move back and occupy the recesses '24, as hereinabove described. A washer 27- is placed on the retaining bolt 20, after WhlCh a key 28 is passed through an opening 29 near the lower end of the bolt 20 for normally retaining'the bolt 20 against upward vertical movement beyond a predetermined point,

In this particular instance there is (115- closed a well known type of coupler butt having a vertical enlargement 30 at/the IOfll end. To apply and withdraw this coupler shank with the enlarged butt and still retain the ov erlapping relationship, after the parts are assembled, between the carriage 12 and the walls 16 of the carry iron 11, the'latter are cut away to provide aligned recesses 31. In assembling the parts, the coupler shank is first passed into the opening of the striking casting with the vertically enlarged butt passing through the recesses 31. After the butt has passed inwardly beyond the striking casting, the carriage 12 is set in place on to of the rollers 13. Then the retaining b0 t is passed vertically upwardly through the openings 21 and 22 in the carry iron 11 and carriage 12 with the coupler shank elevated above the carriage 12 sufiiciently to permit the ears 23 to be lifted above the carriage 12 to permit rotation of the retaining bolt 20 through an angle of 90, whereupon the ears 23'may drop back into key 28 are then applied.

By means of this simple and durable arrangement the self-centering device or carriage 12 is retained in place under both normal and abnormal conditions and the .parts are easily and quickly assembled and disassembled in a manner to meet the various requirements.

I 'caim: ft

1. n ra rig ing supporting means, a striking block ha ing a carry iron, a self centering carriage supported by said carry iron, a carriage retaining bolt connecting said carr iron and carriage and havin an elongated head, said carriage having a liolt the recesses 24. The washer 27 and receiving opening elongated in one direc\ tion for the passage of said elongated bolt head, said opening having an offset recess for the reception of the elonagted bolt head for locking said bolt against displacement in one direction, and means for preventing displacement of said bolt in another direction whereby said carriage is locked against accidental displacement.

2. In draft rigging supporting means, a striking block having an integrally formed carry lIOIl, a carriage supported by said carry iron, a retaining bolt having an en larged head and connecting said carry iron and carriage, said carry iron and carriage having elongated I openings through which the retaining bolt passes to permit freedom of movement of the carriage and bolt, said carriage having means cooperating with said elongated bolt head for retaining the bolt in position.

3. In draft rigging supporting means, a striking block having an integrally formed carry iron, a self-centering device supported thereby, a retaining bolt for connecting said carry iron and self-centering device, said carry iron and self-centering device having aligned openings for the reception of said bolt, and means for retaining said bolt in its operative position.

'4. In draft rigging supporting means, a striking block having an integrally formed carry iron with a middle recessed portion to permit longitudinal passage of a coupler 'butt, a carriage supported by said carry iron and having portions overlapping with relative raised portions of said carry iron at either side of said recessed portion for normally preventing displacement of said carriage, placement conditions.

- 5 In draft rigging supporting means, a striking block having an integrally formed carry iron with a middle recessed portion to permit longitudinal passage of a coupler butt, a carriage supported by said carry of said carriage under abnormal iron and having portions overlapping with relative raised portions of said carry iron at either side of sald recessed portion for normally preventing displacement of said carriage, and a vertically arranged retainin bolt cooperating with said carry iron an carriage for preventing displacementof said carriage under abnormal conditions.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day of July, 1924. FREDERIO H. BEN DER and means for preventing dis-' 

